Tractor steering and controlling device



H. P.. HAMER. "TRACTQR STEERING AND coNTRoLLlNG DEVICE.

'APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, i920.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

, 4nnnitteiv r. Hennie or' sparire VALLEX, ILLINOIS.

Menace, f

To @ZZ/whom t mag/concern.'

Be y,it known that l, HERMANP. HAMER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident ofSpring Valley, in the county of BureauV and State ofIllinois, have invented a new l and useful Improvement in TractorSteering and Controlling Devices, ,of which the f following is a `full,clear, and exact description. invention `relates to improvements in "1tractor steering and controlling devices, `and it consistsin theconstructions, combinations,

i andarrangements herein describedv and claimed.`

An object ofV my invention istoprovide` f a ydevice having meansconnecting with the steering mechanism oiga tractor for guiding thelatter troin'a` trailer and having vadditional means forV controllingthe clutch mechanism ofthe tractor'from the trailer.,-

A further object. of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed hav.-

ing,A means` connecting with4 the steering mechanism of va Vtractor tohold the wheels in? normal position to insure travel ofthe vehicle inastraight forward direction.

A further object or: my invention is to provide a device'of the typedescribed that can' `be appliedto a tractor or the like of an ordinaryconstruction altering the structure of the same.

A further object of my invention is to y provide a device of the typedescribed that is simple in construction and operation, in* expensive tomanufacture, andthorouglily practical commercially.

@ther objects and advantages will appear in the `followingspecification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the amended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis application, in which Figure l is a view mainly diagrammaticshowing the use "and application of the device,

Figure 2 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of the mechanism shownin Figure l. Referring now to the drawings, a tractor or otherautomotive vehicle of an ordinary construction is indicated generally atl. 2 denotes an article drawn thereby, such as a binder, connection withthe tractor being established by a draw bar 3. l is provided with theusual steering mech- Y Specification of Letters ll'atent,` iyiippiifiaiipa inea october 29, 1920.V semi no..` 420,441.

4in construction land form y ing` knuckle 6 Vtends without materially`The tractor i TRACTOR STEERING .ann conrnonianefnnvion.

Patented Jan. 3,1922.

anism including the steering knuckles '6 and-V lcarried at the ends ofthe-front axle 7 connected by a tie rod 5.` Radius rods lf-4 are securedto the front axle 7 :adjacent the endsthereof inthe usualmannenas shown.A steering arm 8 connects with the steering` knuckle 6` and. is joinedby Ia linkf9 tothe customary s teeringgear not shown), which ENT"OFfll-C? hasan operativeconnection with-the wheel f l0.A The latter ispositioned to Ybe=operated from the drivers seat. f i

`The parts described `so no Apart of myinvention, except yin so ltar asythey cooperate with the lparts about to be described.y In carryingV outmy invention, I-fprovide a far are lordinary spring ll. Oneendofrthespring 1l issecured at l2 tothe" forward portion of thesteering knuckle 6', Avwhile the other end of the spring 11 is securedto the forward end of the remote radiusrod, being held .there-A on bymeans of a nut 13. l w

The tension of the spring ll on the steer-l .toV turn; the wheels l4-l4lto the left. The link 9 is disengaged from the usual`steeringgearland'is clamped atv l5 to a rod 16. *Therod 1611's pivotedat.` 17 to alever `18 tulcruined atl9 on the axle housi-ng20..'.'Acable2l'having one end secured at 22 to the upper end of the lever 18 extendsto the trailer 2 and is secured at 23 to a lever 24 that is fulcrumed at25 on the frame 26 of the trailer. A spring 27 connecting'thelever 24with the iframe=2ov exerts a tension on the lever 24 Consequently, theare vnormally to Vmaintain the same in vertical position,

fulcrum` away from ortoward the seat 28,

thereby relaxing the tension'on the steering knuckle due to the actionof the spring 27 and permitting the tractor to turn to the left inresponsefto the vaction of the springk ll or moving the steering knuckle6 against the action of the spring ll to guide the tractor to the right.

Since the tractor l may be guided `from `'bar 29 at its upper end,

' is maintained in inoperative fore provide a bai-'29 by bolts 30 or thelike to the Aregular clutch lever 31. The clutch ulever 31 isordinarily. operated by means .of the pedal 32. A cablel 33, having itsforward end secured to the and is provided witha chain 34 at itsrearward end. VThe vbar 29`which forms an extension to the clutch lever31 may therefore beoperated` by means of the cable 33 to establish aclutching engagement between" the,V driving Vmechanism and the wheels ofVthe tractor in the same manner as though the`pedal`32 was forceddownwardly.

j From the foregoing description ofthe -various parts of the device, theVoperation thereofmay be readily'understood. The engine of a tractor isstarted in an ordinary manner. The operator!` takes hisfseat on thetrailerl 2 andoperates the clutch lever 31 by slacking the cable 33,thereby letting in he cluth and. causing the tractor to move forwardly.-The clutching mechanism position by hooking a link ofthe chainV 34 overapin 35 on a support that is secured at 37 to the frame 26.v` Thebalanced actionsof `the springs-11 and 27 will hold' the steeringknuckles 6 and 6 in position to oausethe tractor to move in a straightforward direction until the lever 24 is moved.: n The device is simplein construction, can

be Vquickly and easily applied to a tractor,

and the*V article to be drawn without mate-y rially altering theordinary construction of theseV articles.

that is secured rigidly fthe axle adjacent extends tothe trailerLikewise the device may be p removed and the tractor and the articledrawn operated in an ordinarymanner.

I claim: l. The combination with a tractor having a frontax1e,radiusrods connecting with the ends thereof, and

a steering mechanism including steering knuckles carried at the ends ofthe axle andV a steering arm connecting with one of said steeringknuckles, of tensional Vmeans con? necting said last named steeringknuckle with the remoteradius rod, and means connecting with themovement of the tractor at a distance therefrom, said last named meanstensional means adapted to counterbalancev rthe action of Y said firstnamed tensional means to cause the tractor in a straight line. n y

2. The combination with a tractor having a front axle, radiusrodsc'onne'ctingwith the front axle adjacent the ends thereof, a clutch,

to normally travel axle` and a steering armconnecting with one of saidsteeringknuckles,ofmeans connecting withsaidclutch for operatingthelatter ata 'distance from'the tractor,iten sional means connectingsaidindicated steering lknuckle with the remote radius rod, .andmeans'connecting with said steering arm for guiding' the movement of thetractorat a distanceltherefrom, said last named means including ten#sional means adapted to counterbalance .the action of said Viirstnamedtensional means to cause the tractor to normally travel in a straightline. l

said steering arm for Vguiding HERMAN r. HAMER, a

sof

including and a steering mechanism including f steering knuckles carriedat the ends of the forward end ofthe j

